


Skinny Love

by whouffaldigoldbelle



Series: Wishing and Hoping [1]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 02:37:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2371376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whouffaldigoldbelle/pseuds/whouffaldigoldbelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is no way he can tell her now. Not after Clara's surprise declaration of love for Danny Pink in Coal Hill School in front of him, and a man he can't stand.<br/>Adventures continue... blissfully unaware of how the other feels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skinny Love

**Author's Note:**

> Set just after 'The Caretaker' episode. Based on the dictionary definition of 'skinny love' - where two people love each other, but will not admit to it.

Clara woke early, but with a start. The first thing she saw through the darkness of the TARDIS was a familiar figure looming over her, a bit too close for comfort. She sat up with a jolt...

"Doctor," she moaned, half asleep. "Is something up?"

"Yes, something is about to be up. You are. Get dressed Clara, hurry."

What was so important? Clara fumbled for her clothes. Her watch did not synchronise with the complicated mechanisms of the TARDIS, and now needed fixing. But she didn't change. The Doctor was still there, trying not to look at her changing. And he hadn't turned his back even. 

"Why are you still here?" she demanded. "Go away, you idiot." She grinned as she said it however, pushing him out.

"Got you up though, Sleepyhead," he quipped a minute later as Clara came into the main control room.  
Why did she always look so radiant even with no make up on? For a moment the Doctor wondered how often, if ever, Danny Pink looked at her natural beauty in the same way that he did. 

"She emerges! Can't waste a day sleeping when you could be exploring a planet with the most luscious waterfalls and brightest rainbows in the galaxy that shine for only half an hour in a whole year." 

This did sound very tempting. 

"Is that where we're going then? No hectic adventures or Dalek armies to battle?" Clara was now perched on the end of the bed next to the Doctor. 

"Nah, I figured we could both do with some relaxation after yesterday," grinned the Doctor. He stretched. "That Krillitane bat dropped us from quite a distance!" 

Clara shuddered.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
She remembered falling through the air like a fragile leaf, the Doctor by her side. He was frantically, heroically removing his cloak to use as a parachute for Clara so that she wouldn't hurt herself too much. She only just got round to appreciating the gesture properly, after the hectic events of before. 

"That's the fastest falling strip show I've seen!" she had half-joked once they were on the ground. 

"New record timing!" he had replied breathlessly. "Did it help?" 

"Yeah, a lot. Thanks, Doctor." Clara noticed him look away. 

"I'm sure you would have done the same," he had replied modestly. 

He was right. As always. 

Back from her daydream, Clara grabbed a navy coat, her hair hanging by her shoulders loosely, and followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS. Intense rays of moonlight hit them. Clara frowned.  
"It's night time." 

"Well observed, Clara. Take ten points for that." 

"You woke me up, and it's night time?" she huffed. 

"We can't miss those rainbows I told you about. Come on, I'm 2000 years old with boundless energy, and a stunning lass like you doesn't need beauty sleep." 

She giggled, blushing. He was being nice about her appearance. But he was beaming too. Something rare. Clara liked his smile normally. But he seemed amused. 

"You found that funny?"

"You laughed. Is it not?" His face was now deliberately trying to maintain a serious, dramatic, typical Doctor-y expression. 

"Thanks for that," she scowled. This Doctor never dished out compliments lightly. 

He groaned. "Relax, Clara. Lose the bright lips and you're rather bonny. Happy?" 

"Doctor..." 

"What have I said or done now?" he growled, tempted to go back to the TARDIS now. But he was talking to himself. 

"Oh my word, that's it!" Clara let out a small squeak, grabbing his hand. He did a clumsy spin to the right and saw. 

A small rainbow was now shining above the TARDIS. She could see both ends, and it was the most amazing thing Clara had ever seen. Her annoyance with the Doctor was in the past. She knew how childish it seemed, but she had to ask him. 

"Would it... I mean, would it be okay if..." 

"Come on, Clara. Let's find the end of the rainbow."  
The Doctor didn't say it patronisingly at all. It was a heartfelt and genuine gesture. This place, the Doctor had heard through a few grapevines, was the most secluded and romantic spot in the galaxy. Clara beamed up at him and stroked his arm, loving him more every second. 

They strolled through moonlit trees, occasionally encountering a strange species of bird or animal. But the Doctor was fascinated by Clara. Her excitement, her movement, the way her deep brown eyes sparkled... she looked over his way and her dimples creased as she beamed, causing his hearts to pound faster and thoughts to spiral out of control. 

"Clara - "

"Everything is so quiet here," she marvelled. She prodded him. "You need to give me a special guided tour, as you can no doubt identify..."

"Clara," he had gone back to Brooding Doctor. The smile had slightly turned into an awkward twitch. 

"What's up?" She immediately sensed he was troubled and he gingerly held out his hand. Clara took it, stroking his palm delicately with her thumb. "What are you thinking, dare I ask?" 

"Well, I'm just wondering... but please don't question me, okay?" 

Another harebrained plan, no doubt. Clara cast her eyes to Heaven. 

"Fine, what is it?"

The Doctor put his hands behind his back, so Clara could not see the ever-confident Doctor fiddling nervously. "Are -are you happy here?" 

"Doctor, it's an amazing place - "

"No, you misunderstand me. Are you happy here with me? Do you enjoy my company, Clara?"  
He had to ask. Sometimes he feared that she would just come along for something to pass the time. As a hobby. 

That was unexpected. No surprises round the corner?  
"Yes. Yes, of course." Puzzled, she rounded on him. "Why would you think I wasn't?" 

He shrugged. "Just being certain. I don't want to be a burden in your life, Clara." 

Danny. Her life with Danny was troubling him. Maybe it was still the soldier thing? 

"You really are an idiot." She had recently started calling him that a lot, he noticed. "I told you, you're a... you're so much more than a hobby to me." 

Reading was a hobby. Drama was a hobby. Going shopping... things she liked a lot. But when she was with the Doctor, HER Doctor...

She had never been happier, despite so many times being close to death. Because the Doctor was her safety. "I - I love being with you," she replied softly. She swallowed, taking her time over the sentence. 

For a fraction of a second, the Doctor had misheard her, his hearts skipping a beat. 

But... Being with. BEING WITH. Listen, you foolish man. She loves someone else. 

"Glad to hear it," he said, a little too nonchalantly. Oh, and by the way," he added, "I also rather like your company. Your soufflés are improving a lot."

She sighed in relief and frustration at the same time. 

Clara now focused on the Doctor's disgust at the school as he realised that she was dating soldier Danny, not strapping young Adrian who sported a bow tie and bore an uncanny resemblance to his former self. She had thought about it at night - those expressions. His eyebrows said so many things, but where to begin? Reading the expressions of a Timelord was not easy.

Then she had foolishly told the Doctor she loved Danny. Why did she say that? She was lying obviously, but convincingly lying. It certainly took the Doctor by surprise. Danny didn't even react. Had he even heard her, she wondered, or was he a lie detector? There was no more mention of love after that moment, just harsh words from Danny about the 'Lord of Time'. And Clara hadn't even defended the man she really cared for from Danny's cruel mocking soldier salutes. He had saved her life countless times, and she had been gutless. Again. 

Feeling ashamed, Clara took the Doctor's hand again, but avoided his gaze for a little while. They walked together, palm in palm. You could cut the tension with a sonic screwdriver. Then, at last, the Doctor broke the awkwardness. 

"Still up for that guided tour, Clara?" he had suddenly sprung back to his energetic self like a spaniel. "The waterfalls are just..."

Clara stopped dead.  
"Maybe later," she gasped, squeezing his hand as her jaw dropped. They had reached the end of the rainbow. 

And oh, how perfect it was. How perfect this moment was. Right here and now. 

Clara had watched films where a team had spent months creating an artificial 'perfect place'. They all paled in comparison. This was THEIR place. The Doctor was looking out at the stars, and he felt Clara slip her hand inside his jacket around his waist and relax. 

Lost for words, she felt his piercing gaze locked on her face. 

"What?" she said suspiciously. 

"I was just... admiring the beauty," he said finally. 

Clara agreed. She gazed out in front of them. It was only when she was back in the comfort of her bed on the TARDIS that something struck her about his words at that moment. The Doctor hadn't looked away from her once. 

 

THE END


End file.
